"The problem with corporate capitalism is that selfishness and greed have become these unmodified values, " Bakan told CNN.

CNN: The corporate psychopath exposed

Micklethwait also believes Bakan has under-estimated the historical significance of companies and over-stated the influence of their modern successors.

CNN: The corporate psychopath exposed

Bakan argues that the essentially anti-social nature of a company will predominate even if those in charge have good intentions.

CNN: The corporate psychopath exposed

And while Bakan while criticize the way big business operates, he accepts society is at a crossroads in terms of alternative visions.

CNN: The corporate psychopath exposed

Speaking ahead of the performance, Lithuanian bass-baritone Igor Bakan, who played Tobia Mill, said he hoped "avid fans and newcomers" would benefit from the opportunity to watch online.

BBC: Live online opera debut in Vienna

For Bakan, a Canadian law professor, his eponymous subject is a self-interested, manipulative, amoral and irresponsible character which, were it a person, would be diagnosed as clinically insane.

CNN: The corporate psychopath exposed

LONDON, England (CNN) -- You can guess how Joel Bakan feels about modern companies from the title of his book: "The Corporation: The pathological pursuit of profit and power".

CNN: The corporate psychopath exposed

Initially created as instruments of government policy, as illustrated by the great trading companies of the 17th and 18th centuries, Bakan argues that companies now exist purely to pursue profits with no interest or obligation to the societies in which they exist.

CNN: The corporate psychopath exposed